Electrical pulse transmitter



July 17, 1956 H. J. NxcHoLs ELECTRICAL PULSE TRANSMITTER Original Filed Sept. 26, 1945 mm Hm vdi ELEcTnrCAL Purse ruimen/narran Harry J. Nichols, Point Pieasant, N. .1., assigner to linternational Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application September 26, 1945, Seriai No. 613,643. Divided and this application September 4, 1951, erialNo.244,991

Claims. (Ci. Seid-359) This invention relates to an electrical pulse transmitter for use in remote control systems of answer-back type, counting apparatus and generally in electrical pulse actuated systems and apparatus.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 618,643, led September 26, 1945, which issued as U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,575,357, dated November 20, 1951.

ln remote control systems wherein a precise. indication at the control station of the position of the controlled element is required, and in electrical revolution-counter systems `wherein the differential-count of the rotations of a reversible rotary element, say a shaft, is required, a cardinal requirement to insure reliability and Vcontinued accuracy is that the electrical pulse transmitter at the controlled element produce pulses which infallibly represent invariably a certain direction and degree of rotation of arotary driving element.

Another object is to provide an electrical pulse transniitteradapted to send discrete electrical pulses repre-- sentingthe differential rotations of-'a reversible-rotaryelement with absolute accuracy irrespective-ofoperating conditions, that is, without cumulative errors duringrepeated reversals, sudden accelerations, switchingV operations, shut downs, etc.

Yet another object is to provide an electrical-'pulse transmitter which will infallibly-produceuniform actuating pulses'whose duration is substantially independent ofthe rotary speed of the operating shaft within the normal speed range.-

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be pointed out in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which disclose, by way of example, a preferred formof-apparatus and one -mode of operation inputting the teaching of the invention intoy eifect. in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an internal plan-view of the pulse transmitter disclosing the mechanism therein, the -cover being shownintransverse section.

Fig. 2 is a front view'of the interior of the lsame transmitter, the coverthere being in medium section.Y

Fig-3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 but illustrates a following stage of operation.

Fig-4 is a left side viewof the interior ofthetrans mitter with particularjreferenceto the-electrical details;

277,755,460 Patented July 17, 1956 `ric having an internal well 40a adapted` to receive worm 14 and worm gear 16, and a closedcover 21 whichis vassembledV tightly to the base by clamp flanges :and screws as shown, a gasketg22 being clamped betweenthe flanges to provide an air-tight and .oil-tight joint.- Worm gear 16 is provided .with a hub in which 'two similar crank ishafts 17, 18 are secured tightly by'rneans lof a press fit, as

shown.v The mechanismdriven. by the two shafts rare identical, hence to .simplify the description the parts associated with shaft` 18 are .designatedby prime numbersy corresponding to Vsimilar parts associated with=shaftf 17. Shaftsv 17, 18 are rotatably:mountedl in :the `walls-of well 46a in base 46 by-sleeve :bearings 19,t19"'and passage of oilalong the shafts beyond bearings 19, 19t is prevented by 'oil seals-23, 23 of any'desired-typethese parts beingV of commercial type and hence are shown only in outline. On the out-board end `of eachfshaft sfmounted a crank disc 24 having a short,;atheaded -crank pin '25.1 An oscillatory member 32, termed 'the' banjo, ofbanjo' form and :having `afslotted-:farm and-ia .central1 sector-shaped opening; or internal cam 33, is pivotallyand` slidably mounted on `a fixed pivot `35 by a screw as shown,rand moves flat against crank disc 24' in .operative relation with crank pin 25, the construction being suchthat when shafts 17,18 rotate: the interaction of crank pin 25 and yinternal cam 33 produces a combined-oscillatory and-reciprocating motion of banjo 32,/ this motion .being further modified by a tractile spring and trip devicetts-describedhereinafter.

A springl support'pin 36 is mounted near thefrim of the circular portion of banjo 32,1and a spring anchor pin 3d is-'iixed ina suitable position on the base, while therebetween is stretched a tractile spring 37, termed the pawl spring, whose ycombined function is to provide a limited degreeof control lto the motion of the banjoand also to provide a resilient propelling force to actuate the springloadedtrip device as hereinafter` explained.

Banjo 32 lis provided with a peripheral linger 39,' termed the tpawl, adapted to engage a xed, slotted sear member 41 mounted on the base for purposes vpresently tobe explained. A' bolt 42, having a follower member or trigger 43 in the form of a special nut assembled onthe end of the bolt, is mounted-through a hole in stationary plate 48 secured to base wand is provided with a slotted head 44 `on which a washer insulator 56 is mounted by tight collar 46. A light compression spring 47, termed thebolt spring, is assembled over the stem of bolt 42 between the trigger 43 and plate 43.'. A springnger 53 flexibly retains trigger 43 in vContact with-Sear member 41.1 A pair vof normally. open, self-closing spring contacts are mounted on base dibut insulated therefrom, in position to be acted'uponby insulator 50; resilient tongue 51 .beingthe movable member of the pair, while back Contact 52 is the stationary :member of the pair. Normally, washer 5d presses against tongue 51 to holdthe contacts open, but `when'washer 5t) is thrust away by the trigger device, the contacts are closed by the resilience of tongue 51.

The mechanism just described, which is mounted on three sides of the-exterior of the wellportion vofbase 419,-'

is duplicated for operation by shaft 18.1 It is'to be noted, however,l than banjo 32. is assembled in' inverted relation to -banjo 32,Thence operates in reverse manner to banjo 32.V

Referring again to Figs. l and 4, the base 40 is formed with an internal boss 0b to provide entrance for a three conductor cable 54, a suitable packing and packing nut also being provided to furnish an air-tight entrance seal for the cable, as indicated. Two of the cable conductors, designated by 55 and 56, are connected with the tongues 51 and 51 respectively, while the third conductor 57 is connected to back contacts 52 and 52 in common, these connections being merely indicated for clarity.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the operation of the electrical transmitter mechanism is as follows: Assuming that crank disc 24 is rotating clock-wise, and has previously rotated to bring the banjo 32 into the position shown in Fig. 2, the pawl 39 is caught on the end of slotted sear 41 and is also in engagement with the trigger 43 carried by bolt 42, the toe of which trigger rides in the slot of sear 41. Further, that tractile spring 37 is stronger than compression spring 47 at all stages of operation. Then as shaft 17 continues in rotation clockwise, crank pin 2S engages the top arc of internal cam 33, thereby lifting n the body of banjo 32 upwardly. As this lifting motion continues, pawl 39 is lifted clear of sear 41, but not of trigger 43. Thereupon spring 37 pulls the banjo to the left, pushing trigger 43 to the left along the bottom of sear 41, and thrusting bolt 42 to the left (see Fig. 3) whereupon insulator washer 50 relaxes its pressure on tongue 51, enabling the contacts to close, thereby closing the associated external electrical circuit to send an electrical impulse.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, near the end of the stroke of pawl 39, the slanting surface of the toe of trigger 43 intercepts the downwardly sloping end of the slot in sear 41, thereby unlatching the trigger from the pawl. (Fig. 3 is drawn to show the instant of unlatching the trigger from the pawl.) Thereupon, compression spring 37 gains control of the bolt and snaps it bodily to the right, returning washer 50 into restraining engagement with tongue 51 and breaking the electrical circuit at the contacts, thereby terminating the electrical pulse.

It will be noted that the circuit closing and opening procedure described will take place whenever the trip device has been cocked and the pawl is tripped from the sear, even if the shaft should stop at that precise instant; hence a pulse would be sent and the circuit again broken under those circumstances. This feature; ensures an open line condition regardless of any rest position of the rotor of motor 1S, and eliminates any possibility of damage to the magnet windings due to abnormally prolonged current, such as might occur in the absence of this feature. It is also to be noted that the duration of the pulse is not a function of the shaft speed, but of the relative spring forces and masses of the banjo and bolt. It will be evident that by properly balancing these forces and masses to establish the desired pulse duration when the motor is running at full speed, substantially the same duration will be obtained at all lesser motor speeds. This gains the important operational feature of providing operating pulses whose duration is independent of the motor speed, thereby promoting operating uniformity and reliability. It is to be further noted that the contacts are actuated with a snap action, which is an important factor in reducing arcing and securing long contact life. The trip device also eliminates bouncing contacts and enables precious metal contacts to be used economically, thereby promoting economy in first cost and maintenance, and long trouble free operating life.

As shaft 17 continues in rotation clock-wise from the position shown in Fig. 3, the crank pin picks up the banjo 32 and lifts its head upwardly, then to the right, and then downwardly, thereby restoring the pawl to the position shown in Fig. 2, and at the same time recocking the trip device. After the trip device is recocked, an idle interval occurs, during which the crank pin rst travels down the sloping surface of the internal cam, pulling the pawl slightly beyond the sear end and enabling trigger 43 to settle rmly in engagement with the pawl (ensuring certain recocking of the trip device); after which the crank pin moves freely along the third quadrant arc of the cam until striking the top arc of the cam to trip the pawl as described. It will be noted that the wear on the crank pin due to sliding action on the cam is well distributed, and that the cam engagements are gradual, thus promoting a long operating life-which it will be appreciated is a highly important practical consideration in apparatus of this class.

Similar step-by-step analysis will show that Should the shaft 17 be assumed to rotate in reverse (counterclockwise) the trip device will not be operated; for in that case the crank pin will lift the pawl upwardly and to the right away from the sear and trigger, and will deposit the pawl in the position shown in Fig. 3 without tripping the trigger. Should counterclockwise rotation continue, the trigger will be oscillated against the spring finger 53 when the pawl passes over the trigger, but this oscillation has no component tending to release the tongue 51 from restraint by washer Si). Hence it is apparent that the trip device is operable only for one direction of rotation of the actuating shaft, and can only be operated once for each complete rotation of that shaft in the proper direction. Each device described thus generates pulses which infallibly represent complete revolutions in one direction of the actuating shaft. It follows that there can be no accumulation of fractions of revolutions, no matter how often the rotation is reversed. Further, that no false pulses can be produced when the current supply is shut off and switched on. This eliminates a troublesome source of cumulative and fugitive calibration errors to which some angle indicating systems have been subject. Since the banjo and other operating elements of the trip mechanism associated with shaft 18 are assembled in inverse relation to that shaft, it follows that the pulses generated by that part of the mechanism will represent the counterclockwise revolutions of the worm shaft and the motor rotor, and ultimately, a reverse change as compared to that registered by shaft 17. The pulses generated by the two trip mechanisms can therefore be utilized by a suitable differential pulse counter, for example, to represent continuously the status of the rotations of shaft 17.

Without further analysis the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential features of the generic or specific aspects of the invention, and therefore such adaptations and applications, should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim:

l. An electrical pulse transmitter for producing discrete electrical control pulses comprising, in combination, a reversible rotary driving crank shaft, a pair of trip devices, means operatively connecting said trip devices to said crank shaft in such manner that said devices are selectively tripped only according to the direction of the preceding whole revolution of said crank shaft, and means for transmitting a discrete electrical pulse upon tripping of either of said trip devices; whereby each transmitted electrical pulse represents the completion of a whole revolution of said crank shaft in one direction or the other.

2. A mechanical trip device operationally responsive to driving rotation for an entire revolution in one direction only comprising, a driving rotary crank member, a pivotally and slidably mounted oscillatory member adapted to be oscillated and longitudinally translated by said crank member and having an internal cam adapted to coact with said crank member and an external pawl member, a tractile spring acting to bias the movement of said oscillatory member, a stationary sear member mounted to intercept said pawl member at one cyclic position, and a spring biased driven member adapted to be acted upon by said pawl member and to coact with said sear member, thereby to produce one uniform reciprocating stroke per revolution of said crank member independently of the rate of rotation of said crank member below a certain maximum rate of rotation.

3. An electrical pulse transmitter for use in a remote control system comprising, in combination, a reversible rotary driving crank shaft, a pair of trip devices, means operatively connecting said crank shaft to said trip devices in such manner that one of said devices is tripped only by a complete revolution of said shaft in one direction, and the other of said devices is tripped only by a complete revolution of said shaft in the opposite direction, and means for transmitting a single discrete electrical pulse upon the tripping of each said device, whereby each pulse represents the completion of one revolution of said shaft in one or the other direction.

4. An electrical control pulse transmitter comprising, in combination, a reversible rotary driving crank shaft, a pair of one way trip devices for transmitting discrete uniform electrical control pulses and means for operatively connecting said driving member and said devices so that each of said pulses represents the completion of a predetermined degree of rotation of said crank shaft.

5. An electrical pulse transmitter adapted for actuating an angle indicating instrument comprising, in combination a rotary driving crank shaft adapted to be rotated in either direction by a controlled element Whose angle is to be indicated and a pair of trigger actuated devices, means for connecting one of said trip devices to the crank shaft for actuation thereby only whenever said crank shaft has completed a Whole revolution in one direction, means for connecting the other of said trip devices to the crank shaft for actuation thereby only whenever said crank shaft has completed a whole revolution in the opposite direction, and means operatively associated with each of said trip devices for transmitting a discrete pulse responsively to the actuation thereof; whereby each transmitted pulse represents exclusively the completion of another revolution of said crank shaft in a certain direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

